We have missed the steady stream of thoughtful, original productions from Theatr Clwyd while it has undergone a major refit and renovation over the past four years. Whether it is an in-house production where all the costumes and scenery are made on site or from a visiting company the theatre has a long history of distinctive and entertaining performances. It is therefore a real pleasure to witness the reopening of Wales’s largest producing theatre.

It was in 2010 that a survey revealed that the building was reaching the end of its working life. Structurally it was becoming unsound and increasingly expensive to maintain. In 2016, a water pipe bursts flooding the dressing rooms. In 2017, snow fell through the top floor ceiling. The catering facilities needed upgrading, the kitchens not suitable to fuel a restaurant and the conveniences needed improvement. People joked about finding a skeleton in the lift it had taken
so long to reach the top floor.

After the appointment of Tamara Harvey as Artistic Director and Liam Ford Evans as Executive Director an ambitious project to save the theatre and renovate it was tabled. The plan sought to update and future proof the building and diversify its range of uses. It would have an extension to the front, a new terrace and restaurant on the first floor with stunning views of the Clwydian Hills, a new double height rehearsal room, renovated production spaces for costumes and sets and updated backstage facilities to attract the highest quality talent. The outdoor performance space would be moved to front of the building.

The theatre has built strong links with the community in recent years and the renovation has sought to facilitate that further. There is a new arts and health suite suitable especially for young families with a play area both in and outside the building as well as a well-being landscaped garden. There is a programme of activities to help support people with health conditions through the arts. The theatre has become a Theatre of Sanctuary supporting those seeking refuge or asylum.

There is attention to detail within the renovation. Despite working with an older building, the place seeks to be environmentally aware, being gas free, harvesting rainwater and working towards carbon neutrality. The shape of the main auditorium has not changed, there is not a bad seat in the house anyway and the acoustics are great, but the seating, staging, orchestra pit and wings are all new. There is a safe viewing space for neurodivergent customers and a dedicated youth hub area where young people can rehearse, learn and play.

These plans could not be achieved without the support of the Welsh Government, Flintshire County Council and the Arts Council of Wales. This still left a daunting sum of £5 million to be raised by the theatre itself. It is a testimony to the affection for the theatre felt locally that it has been able to raise 80% of that figure, but you can still purchase a seat for £100 and name it

(4 / 5)

The Last Laugh is much more than exceptionally talented performers doing impressions of three comedy greats of the past. The portrayals here are incredibly touching and eerily true to life in the tiniest expressions and mannerisms. Penned by Paul Hendy, this is a production that reaches beyond the public personas of these three giants of British comedy to reveal the personalities, the insecurities and the battles of the men beneath. It’s definitely a rib tickler of a production but it’s much more than that, with moments of poignancy and a final tableau that breaks the audience’s collective hearts.

From the moment Damian Williams appears on stage in vest, pants, duck feet and, of course, Cooper’s infamous fez, we are drawn to this infectious, honest, compelling performance. The voice, mannerisms, the easy way with the audience are all spot on; the ‘just like that,’ the laugh, the endless abuse of Bob Monkhouse, is all eerily accurate of the late comedian. His quieter moments counterbalance this perfectly, his blank stares into the mirror, the glance out to the audience as he picks up his props, alone. The final, heartbreaking scenes are delivered with absolute poise and the silence from the audience, where there once was laughter, is palpable.

Simon Cartwright’s portrayal of Bob Monkhouse truly captures the essence of the famous comedian and presenter whom many of us will remember from shows like Opportunity Knocks or Family Fortunes. The voice is spot on; it sounds like Bob is really on stage, once again the mannerisms and stage presence of this comedy great is exceptionally accurate. I was really struck with Simon’s way of dealing with Bob’s difficulties; a comedy partner who committed suicide, a disabled child, a difficult marriage. Although his character is quieter and more reserved than his co-stars he still stands shoulder to shoulder with them, which is impressive.

From the moment Bob Golding enters as Eric Morecambe, it’s as if the late comedian has bounded back to life on the Millennium Centre stage; Bob bounces across the stage with all the exuberance that Eric was so famous for. As with the other performers, it’s eerie. The voice, the mannerisms, the way of simply ‘being’ with the other comedians speaks of years of admiration of Eric and honing his craft to create him on stage. Sheer joy is counterbalanced perfectly with his quieter discussions about Ernie being like his ‘comedy brother’ and the family he never sees to pursue his comedy dreams in his duo.

So yes, this is a ‘laugh a minute’ as other critics have said, but what truly gives it its staying power is ultimately the portrayal of the human beings behind these facades. It was interesting to hear that the play had gone to New York and, although the theatre goers there didn’t really know the comedians being portrayed, it was the familiar ‘lived in’ experience of simply being human that still made the production resonate with the stateside attendees.

If you love any, or all three of these personalities then this is a must-see. But even if you don’t know their catalogue of work, it’s still an important piece of theatre to attend. It’s a masterclass in storytelling; the last twist of the story, the final flash of the mirror lights and the final call to stage are devastating and brings a tear to the eye where there were, only moments before, a ‘last laugh.’

(4 / 5)

Concocted from the brains of The League of Gentlemen writers, Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman, after Nyman walked past The Fortune Theatre, showing The Woman in Black. You can definitely see the inspiration that Ghost Stories draws from the Susan Hill penned classic, but it deviates and twists and turns in ways that could only come from the brain of writers such as the duo behind The League of Gentlemen!

The production is unusual in that its publicity material contains no stills or videos of the actual show, just audience reaction. This means I enter the theatre, (alone might I add!), with complete trepidation at what is about to happen! All I was aware of was that the show had no interval and no readmittance once the show had begun and, therefore, no escape! I also knew that it would be a collection of stories collated by our guide through the paranormal, Professor Goodman…

I feel with this kind of show, it lives and dies on the quality of its performers. Luckily, the talent on show here is clear and immediately obvious. Lucas Albion as Professor Goodman is the glue that holds this production together, bumbling onto the stage from an auditorium door and immediately into the hearts of the audience. His job is a difficult one; to hold the stories together and to entertain us in the interim. Lucas is brilliant, he holds the audience in the palm of his hand whether taking us through a slideshow or demanding the audience raise their hands if they themselves have had a ghostly experience. These sections could easily have lost the audience, but Lucas is a master at building the tension and at times the humour of the piece.

Our stories are portrayed by one actor per story. Again, these sections could easily become tedious, but the acting here is masterful. David Cardy portrays slightly crotchety, but endearing nightwatchman, Tony Matthews. Without giving too much away, there are long stretches here of quiet or silence, which David builds into tension with ease. He balances this perfectly with hilarious moments such as her berating of the poor Russian nightwatchman who keeps radioing him. I could feel the audience around me on the edge of their seats as Tony flashes a single torch beam across the stage and the final payoff resulted in screams mixed in equally with terrified laughter.

We blend seamlessly into the other stories which feature Preston Nyman as Simon Rifkand and Clive Mantle as Mike Priddle. Preston is perfectly cast as the hapless Simon who is driving home from a party in the early hours of the morning (without a licence, I might add!). His comic timing and sheer fright at the incidents that occur in his story are a sight to behold. The audience were roaring with laughter which immediately became jumping out of their seats and screams of fear. An excellent, balanced performance. Clive Mantle as Mike also blends comedy expertly with a nuanced, thoughtful moments too. His portrayal of ‘the prophet’ businessman is believable, his cockiness and confidence from the business world mixed in with his more tender moments about his wife and his fear at telling the story.

Alongside this talented cast, we have an impressive set created by Jon Bausor. The ‘intermissions’ between stories allow the sets to change with ease and they really are a sight to behold. Mixed with the constant billowing smoke which only helps to increase the tension, I was surprised at the sheer kinetic nature of the set which moves and flows around the actors and the illusions of depth and space that is created by the set design. Teamed up with constant, unnerving sound curated by sound designer, Nick Manning, excellent lighting (and lack thereof!) from James Francombe and very smart special effects from Scott Penrose, the production values of this show are incredible and, I must admit, unexpected!

All in all, this far exceeded my expectations in every sense of the word, made me jump (more than once), weaved a very clever and unexpected twist that I certainly didn’t see coming and gave me a huge sense of unease which is with me still today! I will definitely be keeping the secrets of Ghost Stories as, even if I was to try and explain what I had seen, I don’t think I would truly capture the essence of what the show achieves. Yes you’ll jump, you might scream, you might laugh hysterically but you will have a great night out and come away thinking about what you’ve seen for a long time to come!

What do you get when you mix the creators of South Park with the co-creator of Avenue Q and the songs of Frozen and Frozen II? It’s a riotous, crude, hilarious, downright naughty affair with some devilishly catchy songs to boot. The Book of Mormon marches, ‘two by two’ back to the Wales Millennium Centre on its latest tour stop and I’m glad to report it’s still as jaw achingly funny as before and choc-full of heart (as well as innuendos, ‘outuendos’ and everything in between!).

The story follows the endlessly optimistic and faithful, Elder Price (played by Adam Bailey) who has finished his Missionary training and is dreaming of a two-year Mission in his favourite place in the world; Orlando, Florida. However, his prayers are answered in a distinctly ‘different’ way when he is paired up with the hapless Elder Cunnigham (Sam Glen) and packed off to Uganda, where War Lords have the towns in an iron grip and there is definitely no Sea World or Disney World…

What follows is the pair’s journey to convert and baptise the Ugandans, and to ‘do something incredible’ whilst the residents just shout Hasa Diga Eebowai (which definitely does not mean, ‘no worries for the rest of your days!’). It’s not a show for the faint hearted; with the creators of South Park at the helm, you wouldn’t expect anything less, but what I love about the show is their ability to use that dark, sometimes crude sense of humour but create something that’s still got such an important message at its core.

The Mormon sections are truly delightful, from Hello to Turn It Off, the ensemble of Latter-Day Saints are excellent, led by Tom Bales who is an excellent and hilarious Elder McKinley. Vocals are en pointe and the dancing, especially the showstopping number, Turn It Off (pink sparkly waistcoats and tap shoes!) is a joy to behold. Adam Bailey is perfectly poised as ‘perfect’ Mormon, Elder Price and his fourth wall breaks to look at the audience are so well timed executed without fault. His vocals, in I Believe especially, soar. He is teamed with Sam Glen as Elder Cunningham who captures the audience’s hearts immediately. He is our anti-hero; flawed but with such good intentions and his joy at finding his ‘best friend’ in Elder Price is infectious. I especially loved, Baptise Me, his duet with Nyah Nish as Nabulingi. His constant changing of her name is brilliant, especially a very topical one towards the end of the show. Not much ‘reform’ needed to that part of the show, the audience thought it was brilliant judging by the reaction!

The Ugandans are exceptional, led by a gentle, lovely vocal performance by Nyah and hilariously deadpan Kirk Patterson as Mafala Hatimbi. The singing here is exceptional, from Hasa Diga Eebowai to Joseph Smith American Moses, and they have some of the best lines in the show, ‘one liners’ that have the audience in stitches immediately.

This is not a show for the faint hearted and, yes, it could be seen as coarse or even lewd, but what Parker, Stone and Lopez have created here has a much deeper story and emotions underneath all the surface level crudeness. The human experiences portrayed here are as deep and true to life as any more serious musical and can capture the imagination of any theatre goer. So, don your crisp white shirt and black tie, pop on your name badge and get down to the Millennium Centre to be converted. With songs so catchy it should be sinful, laughs that will leave you with jaw ache and an exceptionally talented cast and ensemble, you’ll be seeking redemption if you miss it!